Verizon Rolls Out LTE Ahead of Schedule




Verizon’s 4G LTE network is growing faster than expected, giving the carrier a distinct advantage over competitors moving forward.

The Basking Ridge, N.J.-based company planned to have its 4G network reach 185 million U.S. residents by the end of the year, and has already surpassed that goal. The carrier aims to open up 13 more markets for LTE service in November, bringing LTE to a total of 178 markets.

By the end of the year, Verizon plans to offer 15 LTE capable devices on its network, including devices like Motorola’s Droid Bionic and Droid Razr, as well as the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

Verizon has positioned itself as the go-to carrier for customers concerned with getting the fastest possible data speeds. LTE speeds are ten times faster than 3G networks and competitors’ 4G offerings are lacking in comparison.

Sprint’s 4G WiMax service does not offer the speeds of Verizon’s. The carrier is working with LightSquared to build its own LTE network, but the Federal Communications Commission is concerned the towers may cause GPS interference, stalling plans.

ATT is also focusing on building an LTE network, but is far behind Verizon’s efforts. The carrier does not have any LTE-capable smartphones available on its network, but has quietly worked to launch its new 4G service in major cities such as Chicago, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Atlanta by the end of the year.

There are still millions of customers outside of Verizon’s LTE coverage, but no other carrier is even close to the company’s progress. Verizon sold 1.4 million LTE devices last quarter, sales completely generated by its 4G network that its competitors have no answer for.

Verizon’s head start will likely continue to provide the company an advantage in LTE technology through 2012 and beyond. Verizon is currently the number-one carrier in the U.S., but if it is supplanted by a successful T-Mobile-ATT merger, its LTE network will be what sets it apart from the competition.

The speed of Verizon’s LTE rollout is proving to be just as fast as the network itself, and now that the carrier is the industry leader in 4G data speeds, its service may be the most attractive in the U.S. market.

This post originally appeared at Mobiledia.

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Article source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/mobiledia/2011/10/26/verizon-rolls-out-lte-ahead-of-schedule/

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